Re: unitedskins.com

[batz <batsy@vapour.net>]

[: hacktivism :]

On Thu, 11 Nov 1999, Me Uh, K. wrote:

:-mia k. (if you shut off the power to an ISP, does
:that count as hacktivism/electronic civil
:disobedience, or is that outright terrorism?)

It's 'infrastructual warfare';)  If you are a state,
it's a humane[!?] and media friendly form of warfare.
If you are not, it is a global campaign of terror
wrought against civilians and their way of life that must
be crushed before it's Too Late(tm). 

IMHO hacktivism is based more upon memetics than
actual intrusion/disruption. It's not revolution,
it's strategic activism that relies upon
intelligence gathering, public opinion swaying,
the erosion of confidence in the economy and
technology. It's propaganda, disinformation,
advertising, education, manipulation, and 
machiavellian subversion. 

Hacktivism gives quantitative answers to 
qualitative claims. This undermines peoples
confidence in the way the economy works,
the way their personal information is kept,
and the ability of the authorities to 
maintain their quality of life. 

Hacktivists should concentrate on solving
DES, cracking smart cards, beating 
biometrics, compromising firewalls, 
beating M$'s lame attempts at convincing
people their products are safe, getting
refunds for their unused M$ products
based on the End User Agreement, exposing
surviellance, exposing planned obselsesance,
and telling people about it. Lots of people. 

Hacktivism is not direct action. Homeless people
without computers don't care if some site gets
cracked. Getting space and starting a co-op
for housing, food and services OTOH is direct
action. Starting a needle exchange is direct
action. Building safe temporary shelters is
direct action. Buyers clubs for pot are 
direct action.  

Eroding public confidence in institutions 
is not direct action. It is an accessory to
those that need it, and sole means for those
that would abuse it. 

Manipulate Authority. 

Mind you, any manipulatable authority ceases to be authoritative
once compromised, so I guess;

There is no Authority. 

is a little more appropriate. ;)


--
batz
Chief Reverse Engineer and Barstool Activist 
Superficial Intelligence Research Division
Defective Technologies




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